KaiserSchlacht Grand Map, beta report. I tried to make it a bit humorous, if you need clarification on anything just let me know.
Turn 1
I am greeted by several telegrams with important info. Objectives and timetables are distributed, and troop movements commence. Rainy weather reduces spotting, and we parked the now worthless Zeppelin over our headquarters where it proved a most interesting umbrella but not much else.
AI turn: In the East, attacks start on an oil well defended by weak forces; it is unclear whether a (no doubt costly) defense of the objective will net any strategic benefit.
Turn 2
Our attention now focuses mostly on Serbia, where the Austro-Hungarian Army (
Gemeinsame Armee = GA) is getting mauled by the Serbian army. This is going to be fun, I can tell.
AI turn: The Royal Navy starts bombarding German forces as they cross the Meuse, not bad considering they are 250km (150mi) away from them. Some crazy French decide to counterattack but in their enthusiasm fail to dismount from their horsedrawn carriages.
GA takes a beating from the Serbs. Konigsberg falls, Russians everywhere, the oil well is quickly destroyed.
Turn 3
The French rescue squad is wiped out and Brussels is taken. The
Hochseeflotte cautiously ventures out into the North Sea, attacking wandering cruisers and destroyers. This with the intent to try and divert attention away from some submarines as they hug the Dutch coast trying to get within torpedo range of the Royal Navy fleet that is bombarding Brussels.
In Serbia, GA units seem useless, the odds against Serbian units are suicidal and only approach equality when fighting them under very favourable conditions. Although Belgrade falls, further advances are beyond the capabilities of the already depleted GA.
In the East, the edge of Konigsberg is reached but the city itself is just out of reach for now.
AI turn: some Royal Navy elements counterattack but the subs are out of reach, just as planned. Nonetheless, the heavy shelling continues. The GA gets clobbered by Serbs and some Russians that have wandered over.
Turn 4
What's this? A message that the troops are digging in, and indeed trenches appear on the map, which are quickly filled with rain. Local offensives are still being launched, but the rugged defense of some French forces dims German enthusiasm considerably. A small relief is that the naval action on the North Sea is making good progress towards the Royal Navy in The Channel.
In Serbia, the rain hinders the Serbs more than the Austro-Hungarians, and some semi-decent progress is made. Bold attacks can be launched as the Serbs lack supporting artillery and are locally outnumbered.
Another notable event is the arrival of the German cruisers in Constantinople, which is clearly telegraphed as Quest Completed.
AI turn: The naval distraction seems to work, the bombarding fleet turns their guns away from Belgium, trying to go after the German surface ships. Only few escort vessels accompany them, and everything is steaming straight towards the German submarines…
On land, fierce combat in Belgium, a whole German unit surrenders en masse, but a rushed French attack that is trying to carry the momentum is crushed by supporting German artillery.
Virtually no action in Serbia, although the bad weather allows a GA unit to ambush a Russian cavalry and weaken it enough so that even the GA should be able to finish it off.
In the East, the Russians and Germans both keep suffering losses, but after a turn of reinforcing the German units, it seems the Russians are now depleting themselves and becoming vulnerable to counterattacks.
Turn 5
Oh dear. Snow, which comes as an unwelcome surprise as many units are defending river banks in order to check enemy advances, but that protection is now partly gone, as is the spotting that is now crucial to get the best out of the ranged units. Still, Antwerp falls, another Quest Completed. And the British fleet gets mauled by the waiting subs after they get separated from their escorts. Not bad.
The only action of note on the Western front is a valiant French unit that manages to tie up a few large German units before finally succumbing, but the delay is enough to prevent the Germans from pushing further south.
Serbia: depleted GA units are strengthened and supplied to be ready to continue the offensive at a later (gun)point.
The Germans finally retake Konigsberg, and fresh units are brought in to keep pushing the Russians back and prevent them from breaking off the fight to try and reinforce.
AI turn: The Russians attack GA and cause heavy losses, however further up north they can’t match the Germans and are rapidly losing strength.
Turn 6
Mud & rain, yummy. The Ottomans draw first blood, and reports of ANZAC units in Egypt are coming in. Im Westen nichts Neues, and neither anywhere else for that matter.
AI turn: Heavy artillery prep on the Western front, but the attacking Entente units are unable to make progress in the face of the supporting German guns. Finally British navy escorts reach beleaguered capital ships and start attacking those German subs.
The cautious advance by the refreshed GA gets a beating by Russians and Serbs. Back to the drawing board I guess.
Germans get unlucky results against the Russians, but hold the line. Russians also start attacking Ottoman units this round.
Turn 7
And now for something completely different: rain & mud. The Western Front is yet again completely stalled, reinforcing/reloading only. Cannot allow those guns ever to run dry.
Serbia: GA pushes south, seemingly motivated by the threat of being sent monocled Prussian officers to instill proper fighting discipline. Now they find themselves halfway Skopje, and further northeast they even manage to check and stabilize the Russian offensive.
Ottomans battle Russians, but results remain inconclusive…
AI turn: …until the Russians nearly overrun the Ottomans. Well, at least there is a lot of room to retrea.. I mean, conduct a fighting withdrawal. I'll ask the GA for tips.
In Belgium, the poor weather conditions causes all Entente attacks to be crushed by artillery, consuming all the recently restocked ammo.The Brits make the fatal mistake of sending Capital ships south to the naval battle that is still raging near Antwerp, and enroute they are intercepted by waiting subs.
The GA is up to their old tricks again and stumbles as the Serbs pull another unit out of their hat, causing panic.
OK, Prussians it is, you've had your chance.
Turn 8
Cloudy, muddy. Again, mostly rearming/reinforcing. British fleet (again) takes a beating from subs.
AI turn: The British finally relieve their naval elements, and they even send in subs as their capital ships withdraw and resume bombarding Belgium. Stunned by the 100+ km/mi range of the barrage, a local Entente attack nearly breaches the German line.
In Serbia, the GA manages to survive small counterattacks by Serbs and Russians, who probably only just used harsh language.
Turn 9
Muddy, cloudy. The German navy, having nearly finished the small British fleet, chases them with subs but the rest of the ships withdraw back to Germany, its main mission completed (and in no way afraid of another wave of reinforcements out of Scapa Flow that is expected any day now)
In Belgium, a repositioning operation takes place, to better cover the weak spots and rotate a unit that is otherwise unable to be reinforced. The coastal hangar is nearly demolished. Due to ammunition shortages the Entente artillery can’t disrupt local German attacks, so their losses mount although everybody remains in place.
The Russians are trying to relieve Serbia and show up outside Belgrade, where they are driven back. Skopje falls, and the GA even manages to weaken the Russians who have outstretched their supply lines and are running out of ammo. GA now threaten the road to Warsaw while holding on to Lublin where the Russians can’t seem to cross the river due to GA still controlling the other banks. Meanwhile, the pressure from the Germans on the Russians means that Warsaw is now slowly enveloped in a pincer move. In hindsight, it all sounds like some master plan coming together, but with the GA there is no planning, only failing. Although they make great AI bait.
AI turn: The weakened British fleet resumes shelling of Belgium, but their efforts to regain control of the seas falter and their scattered fleet suffers needless losses.
In the east, grim attacks by Russians achieve nothing, some units even advancing without ammo.
Suspicious movements along the borders of Iraq are seen and Ottoman forces skirmish with British.
Turn 10
Snow. All units blindly attacked nearest enemy. THE END.
.
's in a row?). The actual case is that I just got bored and found some game about pirates and started playing that for a bit!
I have sorted out the large-scale map now, and I'll have a go at it later or early next week. I will also try to continue my AARs in a separate thread. And yes, I would be very interested in testing your Mongol wars mod when it's ready.
- I don't get enough people anyway
Italy's entry to the war (it may join you if you do well in Serbia)